A Flash of Fang - A Matt Houston Story
by boswifedeb
Summary: There's a would-be vampire on the lose - and as if that isn't bad enough, his family has strong ties to the District Attorney. Matt and Hoyt are faced with trying to catch him without catching trouble from the DA. Rated T. **This story immediately follows "Unmarked but Not Forgotten.**
1. Chapter 1

**A Flash of Fang**

****This story immediately follows "Unmarked but**

**Not Forgotten"**.**

"**I'm not afraid of werewolves or vampires or haunted hotels,**

**I'm afraid of what real human beings to do other real human**

**beings." Walter Jon Williams**

**CHAPTER 1**

"Sure hold on a second, he just came in." CJ punched the hold button on the phone as her husband walked through the door of her office. "Michael's on line one."

"Alright." Matt leaned over and gave her a kiss as he reached for the phone. "Hey bud, what's up?"

"Nothing good, I can assure you. I know we were going to work on those cold cases today but I've just been sent out to a scene by the chief and he wanted me to call you as well. The media is all over this thing." Lt. Michael Hoyt was a sixteen year veteran of the LAPD and one of Houston's best friends.

"Not the vampire thing?" The private eye had seen a little bit of it on the news the night before.

"Yep, we've got another one. This makes the second one – which is two too many according to the chief – and the media." Hoyt pulled a roll of antacids out of his pocket and popped one into his mouth. "I'm on the southwest side of Franklin Canyon Reservoir."

"I'll be there quick as I can." He hung up.

"Be careful, hon. Love you." She gave him a kiss.

"Love you, too. I'll call you." He started for the elevator. "Tell you what; why don't you – "

CJ finished it for him. "See what I can find out about the first one?" She gave him one of the dazzling smiles that he loved.

"Yep. 'Bye." He hit the button for the elevator and headed down to the parking garage.

Arriving at the scene about twenty minutes later, Matt was forced to park a half-mile away from the perimeter that had been cordoned off with crime scene tape. He reached into the console, pulled out a ball cap and put it on as he exited the truck. The narrow one way road was crowded with vehicles from the LAPD, an ambulance, and numerous vans and trucks from news agencies. _Bet he's going through the antacids this morning._ He sighed as he walked up the road.

As he approached the tape Matt recognized one of the officers who was doing her best to keep the reporters at bay. Sgt. Gabriella Giovanni was a transplant from New York and came complete with the accent and attitude. The private eye grinned when she looked up at him and waved him through, causing a large growl of objection from the reporters, many of them shouting, "So who is he? Why did you let him through?"

The private investigator headed down the trail that lead toward the water's edge and was soon walking up to his friend. "So, what've you got?"

"Pretty much the same as the first one. According to Greg here, there appears to be very little blood pooling in the body." Hoyt gestured to the Coroner's assistant who was kneeling next to the body of a young woman who appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties with unnaturally red hair, wearing black jeans, a black t-shirt with a bright green skull on it, and skull earrings. On her neck were four small punctures. There were some marks where it appeared that something smooth had been dragged within inches of the body.

Matt removed his sunglasses, putting them in the pocket of his denim shirt, and looked around the area. "I don't see any blood on the ground here. But it does look like someone came through here fairly recently." The PI walked about ten feet away to the edge of the tree line. "Must have been in a hurry. See how the branches are snapped?" He pointed out the small lower branches of a pine tree that had been broken. "And the pine scent is still pretty strong." Charlie Mason, one of the CSI techs moved next to him and began snapping pictures after placing a ruler down next to the prints. Matt knelt down and looked at the ground next to the tree. "Looks like a size 7 or so – ladies. And there's another one here – looks like a boot of some type. Probably a guy's…" He squinted and spread his hand out over the boot print. "…About a size 12 or so. They were definitely in a hurry; see how the tracks are? There's more pressure on the toes than anywhere else. People tend to put more weight on the front of the foot when they run; you don't usually see someone running flat-footed. Can you see the size on the bottom of her shoe?"

Hoyt nodded and looked at the sole of the young woman's sneaker. "It's a 7."

"Has anybody been back this way yet?" The PI continued to look back towards the woods.

"No, Charlie just got here a couple of minutes before you did."

"I thought so – I'm parked right behind him." Matt stood back up. "How in the heck did the media get on this so quick – the scanner?"

"Yep. That's what I'm guessing. Berkley was the first one on the scene." Michael had a disgusted look on his face. Sgt. Andrew Berkley was not one of Michael Hoyt's favorite officers or people. The cocky sergeant loved to showboat – he was a publicity hound. Once the sergeant had uttered the word "vampire" over the radio, almost every television station news team in the area had sent a reporter and cameraman to the small park.

"Are you ready to see what's down this way?" Matt jerked his head in the direction that the shoe prints were coming from.

"Yeah, let's go." Michael followed Charlie who was following Matt. They entered the trees just to the left of where the shoe prints were found. Charlie stopped and put down rulers next to each set of prints and snapped pictures as he went, with Matt moving several feet ahead of them. He stopped and waited for them to catch up, inwardly smiling as Michael began cursing under his breath about the thorns on the underbrush that they were traveling through. A few feet further down, the lieutenant let out a loud "OUCH!" Matt stopped and turned back to look at his friend, who had managed to get a thorny vine caught on the seat of his pants. "I can't move!"

As hard as he tried, the cowboy couldn't help but snicker at his friend's predicament. He stepped back to where the unfortunate cop was hung up, pulling out his multi-tool as he went and snapping it open one-handed, revealing a pair of pliers. Matt clipped off the vine a couple of inches from Hoyt's leg and carefully removed the thorn from the cop's pants. "Now I know what to get you for Christmas." He turned and started back up through the trees, coming out into another clearing about twenty five yards further on, hearing more mumbles from Michael.

"Looks like maybe they spent a little time here – there's a depression in the grass. It's square. Maybe they had a blanket." He stayed several feet from the depression as Charlie continued to take photos of the spot. "I didn't see any prints headed in this direction from the spot where she's laying…so I don't believe they came in that way." The PI continued to look around and then down toward the water. "Here we go." He walked on down toward the water's edge. It was early August, and the heat of the summer coupled with the lack of rain had caused the water level to drop in the reservoir. It was down a good four feet from its usual level and there was bare dirt with a few scattered weeds where the water had been earlier in the year. "We've got more tracks down here. Looks like the boots and sneakers again." Carefully avoiding the prints, he took off following where they had come from and ended up at an unpaved parking area.

The three men looked around. Charlie pointed. "Tire tracks." He began snapping pictures again. "Looks like they left in a hurry, too."

Matt walked up beside him and knelt down next to the tracks. "These are from Rattlesnakes."

"What?" Hoyt and Charlie exchanged a puzzled look.

"The tires – they're for four wheelin' – ya know, muddin'." He stood back up.

"How could you possib-…never mind." Hoyt was thoroughly disgusted.

"I had a set of 'em on the first Dream Truck. But when CJ ordered the replacement, they weren't making them anymore so she had to get another kind." He turned and followed the tracks to the pavement. "That's all we're going to get out of those. It ends at the pavement." Walking back he surveyed the area. "It looks like they were parked over here…" He moved over toward the grass. "Uh huh - got a roach." He pointed down at the remnants of the joint and Charlie came over to photograph and collect the evidence.

"Well, guess I get to make some casts now." The CSI tech turned and headed back the way they had come and Matt followed suit. He heard a groan from behind him and stopped, turning to look at Hoyt.

"Pard, you look flat out miserable." The cowboy felt sorry for the cop.

"I'm just picturing how bad the lecture is going to be when I get home tonight. Anne's going to be griping about the suit." He walked on past Matt and headed back down into the grass. The PI started snickering. "So you think it's funny, huh?"

"Not the fact that Anne will be fussing, no." Matt couldn't help but chuckle.

"Then what is so damn funny?" Hoyt stopped and turned to face his friend.

"When did you start wearing baby blue underwear?" The chuckle turned into full-blown laughter.

"No…" The lieutenant tried to look at the seat of his pants which sent Matt into even louder laughter. "Shut up, PI. Just shut the hell up." He took off through the woods, swatting at vines and cursing as he went.

When the three made it back to the location of the body, Matt looked around some more but didn't see anything else that would point them in the direction of the girl's killer. Greg, the Coroner's assistant stood up and showed Hoyt what he had found in the back pocket of the victim's jeans.

"Well at least we know who she is now." He waved Matt over and showed him the driver's license. "Sarah Marie Hagar, good Lord…she's just eighteen." The cop shook his head.

"Are you going to do the notification?" Matt knelt down and looked at the girl again before Greg zipped up the body bag.

"With a hole in my pants? I don't think so." He pulled out his phone and called Lee Jenkins, one of the detectives in his office, gave him the information and asked him to find out if the girl had family in the area and if so, to make the notification. After disconnecting the call he started up the hill.

"Hey Michael, pull your jacket down in the back a little." The PI snickered.

"Bite me." The cop went up the hill, pulling the back of jacket as far down as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Matt was in Hoyt's office, stretched out on the couch reading the file on the first vampire-like killing from two nights before. It sounded similar to what he had just seen. The first victim was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, about 5'6", with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing all black clothing and dark makeup. She hadn't been positively identified yet. Early morning walkers at the park had found the body out on an island in the middle of Echo Lake Park. The island was accessible by a small bridge. No tire tracks, shoe prints, or any other evidence had been found near the body or in the nearby parking area, and the same four puncture marks had been found on her neck. Once again, there was very little blood pooling, but no blood was found at the scene.

Michael walked into the office, returning from the locker room where he had changed clothes. "Comfortable?" The grumpy cop went and sat down behind his desk. "I see you found the file from the first murder."

"Uh huh – not much to go on at all on that one. And he picked a heck of a spot there. That's a pretty populated area – not nearly as private as Franklin Park." The private investigator sat up. "I take it the prints from the first girl have been run?" He stood up stretching and walked over to the window.

"They have – no hits anywhere. We don't have a clue who she is. The TV stations are supposed to run a picture of her today to see if anyone can identify her. Hopefully," the cop looked at his watch, "the ME is starting on her autopsy about now."

Matt stood looking out the window at the traffic below, thinking about the first victim. "You know, it seems to me that the first girl could have been killed somewhere else and then dropped there. On that island there isn't near as much cover as there is at Franklin Park."

"Uh huh. That's what Jenkins said. He handled the first one." Michael sat and thought about it. His phone rang. "Hoyt. Uh huh. So you tracked them down? Uh huh. What's the address?" He wrote on a notepad. "Alright. Would you let them know that Houston and I will be there in a little bit to talk to them? Thanks." He hung up. "Jenkins found the second victim's family. Terry and Janice Hagar live over on Beeman."

The pair walked out to the elevator and rode down to the garage. "I'll just follow you. I'm going to head back to the office and see what I can come up with after we get done talking to the parents." Matt looked over at his friend. "When was the last time you had a vacation?"

Hoyt gave a sarcastic laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not. You seriously need to take one, Michael."

"Maybe one of these days." Hoyt sighed heavily as the doors opened and they stepped out into the parking garage.

As he slid behind the wheel of his truck, Matt pulled out his phone and dialed the office. CJ was acting as both private investigator and secretary since Chris was taking the week off to get ready for her upcoming wedding to Murray Chase, the CEO of Houston Industries. She answered the phone on the second ring. "Houston Investigations."

"Hi there sexy lady." Matt grinned as his wife giggled. "I'm going to guess that you didn't get much on the first murder."

"Hardly anything." She picked up their eleven week old daughter and began giving her a bottle.

"Yeah, I just read through the file. They haven't been able to ID her yet. Hoyt and I are on the way over to talk to the parents of the second girl. Hopefully I'll have a little more to work with when I get back, but I do need you to find out something for me if you can."

"Sure, what is it?"

"You remember the set of Rattlesnakes I had on the other truck? It looks like maybe we're looking for someone with a set of those. The tire tracks were in fairly loose dirt and the tread looked to me like it was about half gone. Can you find out when they quit making them and get a list of dealers in the area who carried them?"

"I can sure give it a try. Anything else?"

Matt could hear Catey grunting as she drank the bottle and he started laughing. "She's hungry again, huh?"

"Yeah, she's always hungry I think." CJ reached down and played with a curly strand of the baby's hair.

"Well give her a kiss for me and I'll see you two in a little while. Love you, Babe."

"Love you, too, Cowboy. 'Bye." She hung up and put Catey into her bouncy seat on the desk and began looking for the information on her computer.

Matt pulled into the curb on Beeman Street right behind Hoyt. As he got out of the truck he looked around. It was a nice, respectable neighborhood with well-maintained houses and lawns. The two detectives went up the front walkway and Michael rang the doorbell. A moment later it was answered by a young woman of about twenty who looked a good bit like Sarah Hagar. Hoyt made the usual introductions and they were led into the living room where a very distraught mother and father were meeting with a man who appeared to be their pastor.

"Mom, Dad – this is Lt. Hoyt and Mr. Houston." The girl stepped to the side as the parents offered the two men a seat in a pair of chairs opposite the couch on which they were sitting.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hagar, we're very sorry for your loss." Hoyt hated that line; it irritated him beyond belief.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Mrs. Hagar had obviously been crying.

"We were wondering if you could tell us a little bit about your daughter: who she hung out with, if you knew where she was last night…anything that might help us catch the person that did this to her."

"Sarah was a good girl, Lieutenant. Never in any trouble…until she met that Willoughby boy." Mr. Hagar was clearly not a fan.

"Can you tell us a little more about him?" Matt reached back and removed the notebook and pen from his back pocket.

"Yeah, his name is Brock Willoughby. When Sarah first started dating him we thought he was okay…he needed a haircut, but…you know how it is. Kids, ya know? The first few weeks it was alright. But then Sarah started to change. Started wearing, what do they call it Caitlyn?"

"Goth, Dad." The young woman sat down next to her mom. "You know, dark colors…mostly black, black nail polish, lipstick, the whole nine yards. She even dyed her hair bright red."

"Do you know where he lives?" The private eye propped his ankle on his knee and took down the man's name.

"Beverly Hills – Palm Drive…I don't know the exact address." Terry Hagar looked at the two detectives. "I'm not going to lie…when I found out the boy was from money I was happy. I wanted Sarah to marry well, you know? But after he started to get a little more comfortable around us, Brock kind of let things slide. A few choice words would come out, you know what I mean? We're not like that. I won't tolerate that kind of language in this house and I told him to either clean it up or leave. He apologized, but it wasn't long before I heard him talking to Sarah like she was a dog. I kicked him out of here and told him not to come back. And she…" Hagar got choked up. "She begged me to let him come back, to give him another chance. I should have said no, but I didn't. If I had she would still be alive." He broke down as did his wife.

Matt looked at the sister. "Do you know how they met?"

She nodded. "On the internet. Sarah was always kind of shy, especially around guys. But online it's easier to talk to people. She met him on Mugbook a couple of months ago."

"Do you know what he drives?"

"He showed up in three different vehicles. There was a Mercedes, a Porsche, and some big truck. Not sure what kind it was. It was a dark color and I really couldn't see too well – it was at night." Caitlyn shook her head. "That's what he was driving last night when he picked her up."

Hoyt spoke up then. "Mr. and Mrs. Hagar, is there anything else you can tell us about him?" They shook their heads no.

"Would it be okay if we took a look around her room?" Matt wanted to get a look at her computer.

"If it will help you find this jerk, then yes." Mr. Hagar stood up and led the two men upstairs and opened the second door on the left. "We haven't been in there today…"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Hoyt walked in and began looking around and Matt stuck his head back out into the hallway.

"Mr. Hagar? Do you mind if we look at her computer?"

"No, go ahead." The man was crying again and went down the stairs - his shoulders drooping like his world had ended.

Walking across the room, Matt looked at the surroundings. It appeared that Sara was caught somewhere between being a girl and a woman. There were signs of her new-found identity: posters on the wall of various musical groups all wearing the dark makeup that she had adopted. But the PI also noticed other things: she still had a pink canopy bed with a load of stuffed animals on it, as well as a collection of photos from what appeared to be her high school days; she had just graduated a couple of months earlier. "She should have been getting excited about going to college instead of ending up in a body bag."

Michael nodded. "I'm so glad Kathy isn't into this stuff." He turned and pointed to a laptop that was on the bottom shelf of the nightstand. "Found the computer."

Matt donned a pair of black gloves and sat down on the bed and pulled up the computer as Hoyt began searching through the dresser. After it booted up, the private investigator began looking through her documents file. "She was about to start cosmetology school next month." Hoyt grunted in response. Matt sifted on through the documents but didn't find anything noteworthy. Moving on to the pictures he got a good sense of the drastic changes in the girl. Within the last three months she had undergone a complete metamorphosis, from being a bright-eyed beautiful young woman who was full of smiles to someone who seemed continually sad and dull-eyed. "Hoyt, I know they aren't going to like the question but I think we need to ask them if she was doing drugs." He turned the computer so that the lieutenant could see the two pictures that he had pulled up on the screen. "I realize the makeup is part of it, but look at her eyes."

Michael nodded. "I haven't found anything yet, but I see what you mean." He went back to looking through the dresser and then moved on to the closet. It wasn't much more than a minute later that he called Matt over. "Take a look."

"Unhh. Looks like ecstasy." Matt shook his head. "You know, we see stuff like this all the time, but it never…" He stopped. "She looked like such a sweet kid, you know? You just have to wonder why. Her mom and dad obviously loved her…" He turned and headed back to the laptop on the bed. "I hate this part of the job."

"Yep." The detective put the drugs into an evidence bag and continued to search through the closet but didn't find anything else. He turned back to the PI who was still working with the computer.

"Just got into her email. Seems like he was putting a lot of pressure on her to go out with him last night…I wonder…" He continued to work the keyboard. "Nope, she emptied the trash. Damn." Blowing out a sigh he went to check her browser history. "Nothing really major here. She visited some sites about the Goth lifestyle…but basically nothing."

He closed the laptop after putting the browsing information on a flash drive that he had in his pocket, and then put the computer back where it had come from. They both looked around the room and shrugged. "Are you going to pick him up?"

"Yep, so far he's the only real lead we have." Michael pulled out his phone and made a call to his office to send a car for Brock Willoughby. They went back downstairs, informing the parents of what had been found. The veteran cop hated to tell them about the drugs, but it was part of his job. The two walked back out to their vehicles.

"Tell you what: I'll go on back to the station with you and give CJ the information that we have so far and let her do some digging on Willoughby while you question him." Matt opened the door on his truck.

"You might as well come into the interrogation room with me." Hoyt stopped and looked at Houston.

"I can sure do it." The PI got behind the wheel once more, dialed CJ's number and told her what he needed.

"Alright, I'll get to work on him. As far as the Rattlesnakes go, they stopped producing them about a month before your truck got blown up. But until we talk to each one of the dealers around here, we won't know when they actually ran out of them. I've talked to four of them already and they are looking back through their files. They've been surprisingly helpful." She began working on finding information on Willoughby.

"That's good. I'm not sure when I'll be back – will you two be okay there by yourselves?" Matt pulled away from the curb and headed back toward the station.

"We're fine. I'm going to order some lunch from Sabrina's: want me to get you some, too?"

"Please ma'am. Whatever you're having is fine with me. Love you, Babe."

"Love you. 'Bye." She hung up and turned her attention back to the computer.

After arriving back at the station, Matt and Hoyt rode up together in the elevator and just as they walked into his office the policeman's cell phone rang. "Yeah Turner, what's up?" He sat down behind his desk and the look on his face went from tired to angry. "They did what? Okay, if that's how they want to play we can do that. Thanks." He hung up and picked up the phone on his desk and began dialing. "The Willoughbys are trying to play hardball. His mother demanded that we get a warrant to question him." After speaking to someone at the DA's office he slammed the phone down.

"Let me guess: Mom and Dad have already talked to someone at the DA's." Matt sat down on the couch.

"Yes they have." Hoyt blew out a breath.

"So it looks like you're going to need your favorite PI to put out a few critters maybe, huh?" The private eye grinned at his friend.

"No – you better not. They don't just have a friend at the DA's office – they are friends with the man himself. I don't want you losing your license because of this punk. We'll find a way to get him."

"Alright, what if I just tail him?" Matt stood up and walked over to the desk.

"Really, Matt – maybe you should just lay off for right now." He pulled a bottle of pain reliever from the drawer and took two with a sip of the cold cup of coffee on his desk.

"You're going to run scared from a little punk like this? C'mon, Hoyt!"

"Enough! For right now, just lay off." The detective put his head in his hands. "Look, I don't like it either. And if it is him, then we'll catch him. We just…"

"We just have to sit on our hands until some other girl gets killed?!" Matt turned and went to the window and stood looking out. He took a deep breath. "Okay, CJ and I will work on finding out what we can about him. Maybe he left some good evidence on the bodies and we can use that against him."

"Okay. I'll call you when I get the ME's report." Hoyt still had his head in his hands.

Matt headed for the door and stopped with his hand on the knob, then headed back over behind the cop's desk. "Can you pull up a map of the area? Let's look at where the two bodies were found." Hoyt did as he asked and they compared the sites. "Alright the first girl was found at Echo Lake, the second one at Franklin Park…he went from east to west." The PI stood back up. "Bad as I hate to say it, if he hits again I'll bet it's to the west." Hoyt nodded. "Sorry."

"I don't blame you – I'd be pissed off, too. Actually I am…"

"Maybe the ME will come up with something solid that we can nail him with. Talk to you later." The PI walked out the door and hit the stairs to the parking garage.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

As he stepped off of the elevator at his office in the penthouse suite of the Houston Industries Building, Matt tried to shake the anger that he felt over the Willoughby deal. He walked into CJ's office to find it empty, but the smell of meatloaf wafted through the air, so he stepped into the main part of the office to find lunch on the poker table. CJ came up the stairs from the nursery just then. "I see you made it back in one piece." She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck giving him a kiss and then pulled back and looked at him. "What's the matter?" Matt headed for the refrigerator behind the bar and pulled out a couple of Fizzy Pops to go with their lunch and told her what had happened.

"Oh boy, it's going to be one of those deals, huh?" She saw the worry on his face and as he scooted her chair up to the table for her, took him by the hand and pulled him back down to her, giving him another kiss. "We'll catch him, hon."

"I'm sure we will – but it bothers me that someone else's daughter may have to die so that we can." He sat in the chair across from her, topping his mashed potatoes with more black pepper and then diving into the meat loaf.

CJ watched as he tore into the meal. "Are you really that hungry or are you taking out your frustrations on the food?" She put her chin in her hand and smiled at him.

"Both." He gave her a smile, but the worry soon resumed its place on his face. "It just irks me, CJ…" He swallowed a gulp of his drink.

"I know it does, hon, but you've got to have some faith." She went back to her lunch.

"Is Catey feeling okay? She's usually up and jabbering when we have lunch."

"I think she's trying to find another tooth. She's been a little cranky this morning and she's gnawing on everything in sight – and drooling. I gave her some of the drops and she went right to sleep after her bottle."

"Well if you two need to leave go ahead. We can close things down here if we need to." They talked on for a little bit about the upcoming wedding and the trip to Texas as they finished their meal. Afterward, they cleared the table and then went to sit in front of BABY.

"Okay, here's what I've got on your suspect so far." She hit a couple of keys and up popped a picture of a young man with black hair, a load of eyeliner, and a smirk. "Brock Charles Willoughby: the son of Robert and Adele Willoughby of the investment firm Willoughbys. He's twenty years old, graduated from Beasley Academy two years ago and went to UCLA up until this past January. He got thrown out for underage drinking and contributing to the delinquency of a minor…seems his date at the party was fifteen. The girl's parents were trying to get him for statutory rape…"

"But the DA put a stop to it I'm betting." He finished for his wife.

"Not exactly; they supposedly changed their minds. Of course there was a large deposit made into the couple's bank account right before they decided not to press charges."

"Regardless of whether or not they pressed charges, the DA should have." He felt his frustration level rising again.

"Yes – he should have." She punched a few more keys. "Brock seems to like the club scene around town and being underage doesn't seem to slow him down." A few pictures of the young man popped up on the screen including photos of him drinking.

"And I bet that ain't fruit punch he's sipping either."

"Probably not. He's been rumored to be the leader of a group – some might call it a cult – of supposed vampires." CJ looked over at her husband.

"This guy is sounding more likely by the minute. What do we know about the group?" He leaned back and put his arm around her.

"They seem to be made up of young people, mostly in their teens or early twenties, some of them rich and some not so rich. There have been two suicides associated with the group. But the families of the two members in question don't believe they were suicides at all – they think it was murder."

"Alright, do we have their names?"

"We do." She handed him a printout with the names and addresses of the parents of the two suicide victims.

"Thanks, Babe." He gave her a kiss and stroked her cheek with his thumb before giving her another, more lengthy kiss that was interrupted by Catey crying. "Sounds like the native is restless. I'll get her." He stood up and stepped over the back of the couch and headed for the nursery where he changed the baby and then brought her upstairs. Although she was no longer crying, she appeared to not be feeling very well. "Why don't you girls head on home and let Miss Catey Rose here take the rest of the day off." He kissed his daughter on the forehead and she snuggled into his chest. "I'm going to go see if I can talk to these folks and find out a little more about Willoughby. And see if this will cheer Hoyt up any at all."

He rode down in the elevator with his two ladies after turning the phones over to the answering service. After telling CJ and Catey goodbye, he headed back over to Hoyt's office to see what he could find out about the two suicides and bring him up to date. The cop was up to his ears in paperwork when the private eye walked in his door.

"What are you doing here?" Michael hadn't figured to see Matt again that day.

"CJ might have struck gold." He grinned and then filled Michael in on the details.

"I didn't see anything about that earlier." The lieutenant punched in the names of the two suicide victims. "Uh huh – it seems there was a good bit of fighting among the folks in the ME's office over these two…I think it's worth looking into." He gave Matt a smile.

"Well what are you waiting for? Come on." Houston headed out to the elevator and punched the button.

The pair arrived at the house of Margo Sharpton, the mother of Donnie Sharpton. Donnie had been the first name to pop up in connection with Brock Willoughby and his friends. Michael introduced himself and Matt to the fifty-something woman who opened the door. After hearing why they were there she welcomed them into the kitchen and poured coffee.

"Mrs. Sharpton, we were wondering what you could tell us about what happened." Matt took a sip of the coffee.

After she looked at the two of them somewhat surprised, Matt explained that neither of them had worked the case before. "Oh, well…I guess that makes sense." She sat down and stirred creamer into her coffee. "Donnie was a good boy. He was just really shy and had always had trouble making friends. When he met them online and then started hanging out with that group I was happy – at first. When I got a good look at them and saw how Donnie was changing I got worried. I tried talking to him about it but he wouldn't hear any of it." She got visibly upset. "He was finally going out and having a good time, but I couldn't help but worry. They all looked like vampires or something."

"How long was he hanging out with them before…he died, ma'am?" The private eye was taking notes.

"I guess it was about a month or so. He changed – almost daily it seemed. Right before my eyes, you know? At first it was a change for the better, or so I thought. But after the first week, he just seemed so tired. They were staying out until all hours…I have no idea what they were doing."

"Mrs. Sharpton, did your son do drugs?" Michael took a sip of the coffee.

The woman started to tear up. "Not until he started hanging out with that Willoughby character. I found some pills in his pockets when I was getting ready to do the wash. Bright little things – they almost looked like candy. There were all kinds of little pictures on them."

"Ecstasy." Matt and Hoyt exchanged a look and nod.

"That's what the police said killed him. But one of the assistants at the Medical Examiner's office said that his blood was just…gone." She started crying.

"Did he have puncture marks on his neck?" Houston hated to see the woman so distressed but they needed to learn as much as they could about what had happened.

"When I identified him I asked about that. The first man I talked to there, an assistant, said that's what they were. Later on another man said it was from being bitten by a bug of some sort – but I didn't believe that for a minute."

"And he was found at Peck Road Park."

She nodded, wiping tears away. "He was right beside the lake there, just off of a trail." The tears continued to flow.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to upset you like this." Matt reached across and patted on her hand. "Did he have a computer of his own?"

"He did. I got rid of it after…"

"Alright. We're going to do our best to get this guy, I promise you."

The woman nodded again. "I hope so. It just isn't right that my Donnie is lying dead and buried in the cemetery and that guy is out walking around and partying."

They left a few minutes later and went to meet with the parents of Jenny Marcus who had been found about a month after Donnie Sharpton. Bruce Marcus was at home but his wife Doreen was working. He invited the two men in. As they asked him the same questions his response was much the same as Margo Sharpton – except he was mad and not crying. "That was my little girl, gentlemen. I don't know if you understand how it is between a father and his daughter…"

"Yes sir, both of us have a daughter of our own." Matt spoke up.

"Then you do know. She was my whole world - my wife's, too." Marcus picked up a picture of his daughter in a frame that sat on the end table next to his chair in the living room where the three were talking. "She was always doing things to help other people. But after she met those…freaks, she just stopped caring. All she could think about was going out with them. I know she was drinking, and my wife found some pills in her room a few days before she died. I don't know what they were. Doreen flushed them as soon as she found them. She called me home from work early so that we could talk to Jenny but by the time I got here she had snuck out and left the house. That was the last time she was home."

"Did you ever meet the people she was hanging out with?" Matt was leaning forward on the couch.

"No, I usually work nights. Doreen was here. She said the boy that picked Jenny up seemed nice enough, but he looked…weird. He had real dark black hair and wore makeup – you know, around his eyes? I saw a picture of him on Jenny's computer one time. Looked like a damn raccoon."

"And that's how she met him – online?"

"Yeah. Damn computers."

"Is her computer still here, Mr. Marcus?"

"Yeah, I … we haven't touched anything in her room. It's been a while now, but I just can't bring myself to do it."

"Would you mind if we took a look around?" Michael had a feeling that he knew what they would find – if anything.

"Sure, if it will catch the lousy little bastard." He led the way upstairs and pointed out the room to the two men who were donning gloves. "Doreen still goes in there and cleans up – dusts or whatever…I don't go in there. I can't." He started to tear up. "Do whatever you need to do and take whatever you need to take." He suddenly turned and headed down the stairs.

Matt and Michael headed into the room and began looking around, Hoyt through the dresser and Matt through the desk. After a couple of minutes, the PI called his friend over. "Got an evidence bag?"

"Yeah." Hoyt held it out to the man and he dropped in what appeared once again to be ecstasy. "Looks like maybe that's how he got them hooked, huh?"

"That's the way it seems." He went through the rest of the desk but didn't find anything else except for the desktop computer. After turning it on, he began going through the files, but didn't find anything useful at all. "There's no internet access. Guess we could take it with us. Maybe try to look through her internet files." Matt sat and thought for a minute as Hoyt moved on to look through the closet. "You know, it occurs to me: none of these folks had much on their computers in the way of emails…and most folks usually don't make a habit of emptying out their mailboxes – at least on a daily basis."

"No, they don't." Michael closed the closet door and turned to look at Matt.

"I wonder if he got access to their accounts…and after they were dead went in and cleaned out anything that had to do with him or the group?"

"That makes sense." He helped Matt unplug the tower and they went back downstairs. Hoyt made out a receipt and gave it to Bruce Marcus.

"Did you find anything?" The man had calmed down a little bit.

"Yes sir – what we believe is ecstasy." Matt felt bad having to tell him that. "We've found it in every victim's belongings so far – except for the first girl from two nights ago…we aren't sure who she is yet."

"I want you to get this bastard, Mr. Houston – Lieutenant. If there's anything I can do let me know, would you?"

"We will. Thanks for your cooperation." Hoyt held out his hand and they shook before he and Matt headed out down the sidewalk to put the computer in the car.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Matt went on home after helping Michael drop off the computer and other evidence at the lab. Catey was still slightly grumpy and he took her down to the barn to visit Cricket. After their usual ride, the baby seemed to be in a little better spirits, but it was obvious that her gums were hurting. Matt took her back up to the house, gave her a bath and some of the acetaminophen drops, and sat down with her in the rocking chair that had been a present from his Uncle Roy. The baby snuggled into his chest and stayed there as he gently rocked her. CJ watched the pair.

"Do you want me to take her for a while?" She watched as Catey held onto her dad's fingers while he rocked her.

"No, we're good. I don't think I spend enough time with her."

CJ was surprised to hear that. "You spend a good bit of time with her."

"I know, it's just…" He kept thinking about what Bruce Marcus had said that afternoon about the relationship of a father and daughter.

"The case." CJ could read her husband like a book – at least most of the time. He nodded. "Matt, you're a great dad. You feed her, change her…take her horseback riding." They both smiled. "You even give her a bath…there are a lot of dad's out there who won't do that." He nodded again. Getting up and walking over to the two of them she leaned over and gave both of them a kiss. "You're a better dad than most men, Matt. And even when she's older and we have disagreements – and we will – she'll always know what a good dad you are and how much you love her."

"I hope so." He watched as the baby started to doze off.

"I know so." She gave him another kiss on the cheek and went into the kitchen.

The next morning, Matt headed on in to Michael's office in hopes that the ME's report would give them a direction to head in. Before he reached the station, however, his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID before answering. "Good morning."

"No, it isn't." Michael Hoyt was standing near the body of another young woman.

"Don't tell me there's another one."

"I'm afraid so. It looks like you were right; he went west. I'm on the eastern side of Stone Canyon Reservoir. She was spotted by a radio station traffic helicopter about thirty minutes ago. I got here using one of the department's boats."

"Hang on a second." Matt pulled into the parking lot of a department store and pulled out the laptop he had in the truck, going to Goggle maps and pulling up the area. "Okay, what landmarks are near you?"

"I can see a house up the hill – but it's a pretty good distance away."

"What does it look like?" Matt zoomed in on the area.

"Uhhhh…it's got kind of a slanted roof and there's an elevated deck on the back of it. Why?" Michael wasn't sure what the PI had up his sleeve.

"Okay, the place where you're standing: is it kind of open and on a point?" Matt zoomed in a little more.

"Yeah…"

"Okay. I'm going to come in on that side. I've got a feeling I know how he got her down there. Be there in a few minutes." He hung up and looked at the map again for a minute, deciding that Willoughby had probably gone in via Selkirk Lane. The paved road ended at a house very near the one that Michael was seeing, but there was a dirt road that went further into the canyon. Matt was willing to bet that their suspect had used his truck to get in there and decided to go that way as well.

Ten minutes later, the PI passed the house that he had seen on the map and followed the dirt road, being careful not to drive over the tire tracks that were already there. He parked at the end of the road, and carefully followed the footprints down toward the water – where he saw a puzzled Lt. Michael Hoyt looking at him as if he was an alien. "He used the truck again – I saw the tracks from the Rattlesnakes. You need to send someone from the lab up there – and tell them to park at the end of the pavement. As they head in, the tracks on the right are mine. The other set is the one they're after." He walked on down and knelt by the body of another young woman of about twenty. She had long very black hair, white makeup on her face, and black eye shadow and eyeliner along with shockingly red lipstick. Matt looked up when he heard the sound of a boat motor. "Looks like Cheryl is here."

"Uh huh – and that's one of the coroner's assistants with her."

Very carefully, Matt walked down to the water's edge and helped the CSI tech off of the boat along with some of her equipment. "Fancy meeting you here." She gave him a smile.

"We've gotta quit meeting like this Cheryl – CJ's gonna suspect something." He gave her a goofy grin and helped her up the hill.

"How many does this make now – three?" She knelt down next to her case and removed the camera and some paper rulers that they used to show scale.

"Actually, Michael and I think it's more like five." He turned back toward the area that he had come from as Hoyt hung up from talking to another CSI tech who was finding his way to the dirt road that Matt had taken. The PI pointed out the trail where the victim and the suspect had come down to the water's edge and explained how he had gotten there and what he had found.

"Wonderful." Cheryl's sarcastic remark was accompanied by a scowl. She quickly got to work documenting the scene with photos: the marks on the girl's neck, the position in which her body lay, and the area surrounding her.

"Hey, look over here." Matt had walked toward the other side of the body. "There's a square depression in the grass, just like the last scene. And look." The PI pointed out a piece of blue plastic that looked like a very small strip from a tarp. "That's how he's keeping the blood from getting on the ground around the bodies, Michael. It's from a tarp."

"Damn!" The cop knelt down and held the ruler for Cheryl.

"No, not damn…that may be how we can nail this bastard. If he's using the same tarp every time…"

"It might have blood from all of the victims on it." Cheryl finished his thought and he nodded.

"That might be just what we need." Matt and Hoyt exchanged a grim smile. "What about the ME's report?"

"I didn't make it to the office yet – I got the call on my way in. But we'll look for it as soon as we're done here."

"Lieutenant, she's got ID on her." The young man held up a small billfold that had been in the girl's back pocket.

"Adrianne Vasquez. Lives on Sepulveda. Twenty years old." Hoyt held the ID so that Matt could see as he copied it down, then handed it back to the Coroner's assistant and wrote it down himself.

Matt surveyed the area before turning back to Michael. "I believe we need to go look at the ME's report. Want a ride back to your car? The boat's gonna be kind of crowded." The cop nodded and the two headed out up the hill and Matt showed him the tracks back up to the area where the killer had parked, and the tire tracks heading into the area as he left. "He's started getting sloppy. That piece of tarp could be the best break we've had so far. And I was thinking: if this punk really thinks he's a vampire then he might have left some DNA on the victims' necks."

"That's what I'm hoping for…" Michael looked out the window. "Let's stop and see if anybody here heard or saw anything last night."

"Alright." Matt pulled into the driveway of the house nearest the end of the road. An elderly man came out looking mad.

"I told you last night not to come back up here again. Now I've got the police on the way." He stood with his arms crossed in the middle of the driveway.

Michael and Matt exchanged a look as they approached the man. "Sir, I'm Lt. Michael Hoyt…" He showed his badge. "LAPD. This is Matt Houston, a consultant to the department."

"Oh…guess you're not the guy from last night. I better go let the cops know…but I guess you could do that quicker than me?" He looked at Hoyt, somewhat sheepishly, then at Matt. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay. We wanted to know if you saw or heard anything up here last night – and from the sound of it you did." Matt shook hands with the man.

"I sure did. Millard Glenfield." He pointed toward the house. "Why don't you boys come on in and have a seat?" The two detectives followed Glenfield into the living room of the home that looked out over the lake.

"So can you tell us what happened last night?" Matt had a seat on the couch as did Michael.

"Sure can. I have an ongoing battle with the teenagers coming up here thinking that it's Lover's Lane, you know?"

Matt gave a small chuckle and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Well, this guy comes tearing up the road last night. And I knew the truck – I should; I've called and complained about him enough times." He looked at Hoyt. "I know you folks at the police department have your hands full, but it gets ridiculous up here with all these young Romeos tearing up the road out here to go park. I've asked the city to put up a barricade but I guess they've got better things to spend our money on. Anyway, this guy comes up here quite a bit – at least twice a week. So last night I was taking Major out – my dog." He pointed to an old dog lying in the sun out on the deck. "Real vicious type, guess you can tell." The two detectives both chuckled. "Well anyway, the punk comes flying up the road and I yelled at him. The idiot didn't even have his lights on. He stopped in the street and stuck his hand out the window and gave me the high sign and told me to go back in before he decided to put me and my dog out of his misery." Glenfield shook his head. "Kids these days. I came in and called the cops for all the good it did. No offense, Lieutenant. But honestly – I moved up here to get away from so much of the rat race."

"It's perfectly understandable, Mr. Glenfield. So after you two had your altercation he went on up the road? Could you see if anyone else was in the truck?"

"I didn't see her, but I heard what sounded like a girl kinda crying. That's another reason I called it in. But nobody ever came up here – or if they did they didn't stop to talk to me." He looked at the two detectives. "I saw all the commotion down there. What happened?" Hoyt filled him in on what they had found. "Son of a gun! I had no idea. That poor girl!"

"So you say he comes up here a couple of times a week, Mr. Glenfield?" Matt was taking notes.

"He sure does. But I wonder if he will since you two found that girl?" Glenfield had just said what both Matt and Michael had been thinking to themselves.

"What about the truck? Have you seen it good before?" The private eye had a feeling that Mr. Glenfield didn't miss much that went on around him on the cul-de-sac.

"Sure as hell have! It's a good sized one – like that one of yours, and it's black sort of. Guess that sounds stupid. It's a darker color blue than yours – kind of like a real dark navy color."

"What about the make?"

"It's a Ford, like yours but taller. Got some of those big tires on it."

"If I showed you a picture, do you think you could identify the body style?" Houston had a good feeling about Glenfield.

"I'll sure as hell try."

"Be right back." Matt headed back out to the truck for his laptop.

"So how does a fella that young get to be a consultant to the department?" Glenfield gave Michael a questioning look. "He looks kind of familiar."

"He's a private investigator – been helping the department out for several years now. And he probably looks familiar because he was on TV fairly recently: he helped the Coast Guard end a hostage situation on an oil platform in the Gulf."

"Son of a gun, that's him? Wow, he sure gets around." He looked at Matt with a new-found respect when he came back in and opened up the laptop.

"Here you go." He turned the machine so that the elderly man could see the pictures of trucks that he had pulled up.

After moving his glasses around a bit the older man looked up at Matt. "I don't see so good anymore."

"Here – try it now." Matt blew up the pictures.

"Now that's pretty handy. Let's see…" Glenfield searched through the pictures. "The front of it was about like this here – lotta chrome right here on the front where yours has the winch. And the windows are all black, kind of like this one here."

"Good. Looks like about a 2005 model, Michael. Can you think of anything else about it that would help us?"

"Yeah, he had something on the back window – like a big decal. It was white…kinda looked like a mouth with fangs."

Matt and Michael nodded. "Mr. Glenfield we sure appreciate your help." Matt pulled one of his business cards out of his pocket. "If you should happen to think of anything else or see this fella again, please give us a call." He handed the card over as Michael pulled out one of his own. "Don't call it in to 911 or anything – we'll take care of it, okay?"

"Sure thing. And again, I'm sorry about earlier. If I hadn't been so dang fired up I would have noticed that wasn't the right truck."

Houston grinned as he closed the laptop. "Not a problem, sir. Thanks again." He and Michael headed on out to the truck. "I don't see much point in talking to anyone else do you?" Matt slid behind the wheel and put the laptop into the backseat.

"No, I believe Mr. Glenfield is about as good as twenty witnesses…I just hope he gets to testify in court."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

After dropping Michael off at his car, Matt dialed the office on his cell phone and hit the speaker button before setting it on the console of the truck. CJ answered. "Hi there, sexy. How's Catey feeling?"

"She seems to be a little better but she sure is gnawing on everything she gets her hands on. What's going on?"

"There's been another one, but it looks like our boy is starting to get a little sloppy." He explained what they had found and about the interview with Glenfield. "Since we know what kind of truck we're looking for and we have a name, could you call the tire places and see if they remember him or the truck?"

"I sure can. Anything else?" She turned on the computer monitor.

"Uh huh. See what you can find on the internet about this group. Look on Mugbook – that's where some of the victims supposedly met him."

"I'll do it. Call you when I have something. Love you."

"Love you, Babe. 'Bye." He hung up and found his way to the parking garage of the police station. As he rode up in the elevator an idea struck him. He hit the coffee pot behind Luis Sanchez's desk and headed into Hoyt's office. "Have you found out if Adrianne Vasquez has any family? And have you run a check to see if Willoughby's truck matches the description that Glenfield gave us?"

"Yes on the first one and I'm working on the second. Demanding today, aren't you?" Hoyt grinned as he went back to work. When he had all of the information gathered he read it off to Matt. "Okay, first off Adrianne Vasquez lives with her sister – Tiffany. And Willoughby does indeed own a 2005 Ford truck." He punched a few more keys. "And we also have a report from the ME…actually two of them. We don't know the name of the victim from Echo Park just yet, but there was some DNA found on the area around the puncture wounds that was not hers…and…" The detective punched a few more keys. "Uh huh…the same DNA was recovered from Sarah Hagar's neck wound." He leaned back in his chair. "Now we've got to go talk to Vasquez's sister."

"He's starting to get sloppy, Michael. They all do at some point. We're gonna nail him." Matt drank down the coffee and tossed the cup in the trash as they left for the Vasquez home. As they headed to meet with the latest victim's sister, Houston filled his friend in on what CJ was doing.

"Good. I just hope we can get this guy before he kills anyone else."

They rode along in silence and another idea struck Matt. "You know, it just hit me: I think he's doing the murders alone…there hasn't been any evidence to suggest it's a group. Think about the footprints where Sarah Hagar was: two sets. And Glenfield didn't say anything about hearing anyone else with him last night except for a girl…"

"That's right." Hoyt pondered it for a minute. "Could it be maybe he's taken the game too far? Maybe scared off the rest of the group?"

"I'm starting to wonder. Maybe CJ's search will turn up an answer on that." As if on cue, his cell phone rang. Putting it on speaker, he answered. "Yeah Babe, whatcha got?"

"Something very interesting. Up until a few weeks ago, the Mugbook page for Willoughby's group was extremely popular. Then the views and number of people clicking the like button suddenly went down. I've been reading back through the posts. Brock Willoughby doesn't say outright that he's killed anyone, but he says, and I quote: _"The donor won't be able to give another meal."_ Now what does that sound like to you?"

"It sounds like he's killed them. Has anything about location been said on there? I've noticed that he's hit going from east to west…I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there's some significant reason for it?"

"I have no idea. Nothing has been said giving names or locations. But I do have some information on the tires. He bought them from Patriot Automotive about eighteen months ago. The owner remembered it because he was such a jerk and looked like, as he put it – "a freak of nature"."

"He got that right. Alright, eighteen months may be about right depending on how much he drives it. From what we've been seeing I'd say that's his vehicle of choice when it comes time to murder."

"I've got something that I'm going to try…but I don't want Michael to hear it…it could contribute to another ulcer." The lawyer giggled.

"It doesn't involve you getting anywhere close to this guy does it?" Matt was somewhat alarmed as was Michael.

"Only in a cyber-kind of way. I'll call you back if I get something else. Love you, Cowboy."

"Love you, Babe." He hung up and chuckled. "Who knew I would marry a cyber-ninja."

"Good Lord." Hoyt couldn't help but laugh, but neither man was laughing when they got to the Vasquez apartment on Sepulveda. Tiffany had already been notified by the department's chaplain who was still with her. After Hoyt introduced himself and Matt, the two men took a seat on the couch. "Ms. Vasquez, I'm really sorry to have to bother you at a time like this but the sooner we can get some information from you the sooner we can catch this guy."

"Whatever it takes." She blew her nose and tried to compose herself.

"Do you know who she went out with last night?"

"I sure do – that stupid Brock Willoughby. I tried to tell her he was just a jerk, but she wouldn't listen. Adrianne was always shy with people and about the only place she would really talk to anyone was online."

Matt and Michael exchanged a knowing look. "Ms. Vasquez, your sister isn't the first person that we think Willoughby has murdered. But we're trying to get an ironclad case against him." Matt didn't want to tell her that the Willoughbys had the DA in their corner. "Did your sister have a computer of her own?"

"Yes." The young woman stood up and headed for the bedroom that had been her sister's.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to take a look around her room and at the computer." Michael stood as did Houston.

"I don't mind. It's the first door on the right." She pointed down the hallway.

"Did Adrianne use drugs at all?" Matt looked at the woman.

"She never used to, but I think she had started. She just acted weird; like real hyper one minute and dragging around the next."

The private investigator nodded. "Do you know what ecstasy looks like?"

"No."

"Did you ever see her with any brightly colored pills – they may have had a picture stamped on them."

"No, but she had started wearing one of those candy necklaces – you know the kind little kids get with the candy strung on an elastic thread?"

"Uh huh. That's how a lot of people conceal it – in plain sight. Nobody really looks at the necklace." Matt and Michael started back down the hall, both men pulling on gloves as they went. They could hear the chaplain talking with the young woman and then heard his car start and pull away.

Tiffany walked back and leaned on the door frame watching the two. Matt had the laptop out and opened up as Michael was searching the closet. "I'm so glad Mom and Dad aren't around to have to deal with this." She started to silently cry again.

Matt went through the emails on the girl's computer after finding a list of her passwords in the documents files. "Michael, take a look." He pulled out a flash drive and began downloading them. "There are three on here from him. He had been trying to get her to go out for the last two weeks. It looks like she didn't agree until he threatened to unfriend her." Matt finished copying the messages onto the flash drive before moving on to the Mugbook account.

"What was the date of the first email?" Hoyt was still leaning over his shoulder and Matt went back to the email account.

"They're gone…" He and Michael exchanged a look. "The bastard is cleaning up, just like I said. But this time we got to them before he did." He gave the cop a grim smile and pulled out his phone, calling CJ. "Hey Babe – did you crack his Mugbook account yet?"

"As a matter of fact I did. And I've got to tell you, it's disturbing as hell. This guy actually believes he's a vampire. I've been reading his blog."

"Well, he just raided Adrianne Vasquez's emails – but not before I got to them and put them on a flash drive." He paused for a minute. "Tell you what; download every single thing you can that's his."

"I can do it. Anything else?" CJ was already working on the request.

"That's all I can think of right now. I'll call you. Love you. 'Bye." He hung up.

"Well, I just found one of the necklaces." Hoyt put it in an evidence bag as Tiffany turned and walked back into the living room.

Back at the office, CJ opened a fake Mugbook account as Angelique, a sixteen year old high school student, and went to Brock Willoughby's group page. "Ah hah, so Mr. Wonderful is online." She sent a friend request to him that was answered almost immediately and began chatting with him.

_Brock: How old r u?_

CJ laughed. "You would have a cow if you really knew." But she replied. _16 / U?_

_ Brock: me 2. what do u like 2 do?_

"Lock up little jerks like you." She thought for a minute. _i_ _d k stuff_

_Brock: r u n2 vamps?_

"No, I'm actually into real men, cowboys to be exact. But since I want to nail your sorry butt…" She replied: _hell yeah!_

_ Brock: want 2 go out?_

"Well, well Junior…moving right along are we?" _when?_

_ Brock: 2nite_

"Moving too fast, Junior." _idk _

_ Brock: cmon / addy_

She stopped for a minute. "I didn't think about that…" _brb_

"Damn." She picked up her phone and called Matt. "Hi… uh, Brock just asked me out."

"HE WHAT?!" Houston couldn't believe what his wife had just said and hit the speaker button.

"I said Brock just asked me out. He's asking for an address…didn't think about that part. Got any ideas?"

"CJ…" Michael spoke very quietly and calmly. "Is that what you meant by contributing to an ulcer? Because you were right." The cop reached into his pocket for the roll of antacids.

"Oh, come on, Michael – I'm just trying to help…"

"Would you like to tell me just how a married lady got a date with a twenty year old punk?" Matt looked over at Hoyt who just shook his head.

"By telling him I was sixteen…Now what do I do?" She giggled. "I haven't had this problem in a while – I'm an old married woman, ya know."

"Shoulda thought of that before…never mind. Have you put up a picture?" Matt had an idea but wasn't sure if Michael would cooperate.

"No way – that would have blown my cover!" CJ laughed again as did Michael.

"Hoyt, do you think Kathy would want to help us out?" Matt looked over at his friend who looked shocked at first and then pulled into a parking lot and put the car in park.

"Kathy? Are you nuts? That's my daughter you're talking about!"

"Yeah, but we could get him for …ya know." He turned sideways. "She wouldn't actually have to go out with him. Maybe we could get her to get him talking…bragging…and he might let something slip." Matt understood completely why Michael was so upset; Kathy had been kidnapped by a child molester a few years earlier.

"I…well…as long as she wouldn't actually have to be anywhere near him…" He picked up his phone and called his house.

Kathy answered. "Hi, Daddy, what's going on?"

"Honey, would you like to help Matt, CJ, and me with a case?"

"Really? Wow! Yeah, that would be cool! What do I have to do?" The sixteen year old was up in a flash.

"Something you're really good at – talking to someone on the computer."

"Sure! What do I need to do?"

"First off, let me talk to your mom and I'll be there to pick you up in a few minutes, okay?" He put the car back into gear and pulled out onto the street, hitting the speaker button on his phone.

"Babe, I'll call you back as soon as we get it lined up. Love you – even if you are cheating on me." He cracked up.

"Love you. 'Bye!" CJ laughed again and then went back to finding everything of Brock's that she could online and tapped into it.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Matt, Kathy, and Michael stepped off of the elevator and walked into the office. Although Kathy had been in the offices of Houston Investigations before, she had never seen BABY, Matt's computer. The minute she saw that the monitor was the blinds on the windows, she let out a whoop. "Cool!" She stepped over the back of the couch and sat down next to CJ, giving her a hug. "Dad was telling me about this jerk…you're really good!"

"Well, I don't know about that, but I think we need your expert help. Did your dad explain what we need you to do?"

"Sure – just string him along and try to get him to talk."

Michael looked at Matt who was doing his best not to crack up. "You gotta admit, she's motivated, Michael." Houston stepped over the back of the couch and sat down next to CJ who had given Kathy her seat in front of the keyboard.

"Awesome!" Kathy looked at the conversation that was up on the screen and began typing.

_K / im back_

_Brock: sup?_

_mom :D so wut do u do_

_Brock: skool / u?_

_same _

_Brock: lol _

_wut abt da grp?_

_Brock: vamp!_

_how many?_

_Brock: used 2 b 25 but now 6 / they cudnt hang_

_lusers!_

_Brock: yea / so – go out?_

Kathy looked over at her dad who had a puzzled look on his face. "Do I need to translate?" The teen looked over at CJ and winked.

"Uh, no. I think I've got it." Michael gave Matt a somewhat stern look.

"It's only online, bud. He can't touch her – I'll make sure of that."

"Uh huh…you and me both."

"So am I going out with him or not?" Kathy looked at her dad.

"NO!" Both Matt and Hoyt answered at the same time, causing CJ and the teen to both crack up.

"Look, uh…tell him you're grounded. That should stall him for a little bit…maybe." Matt gave CJ a worried look and shrugged.

"As I recall it never slowed you down any. Remember the time you snuck out…" CJ gave Matt a look.

"Ahem…don't go there, CJ. You went along with it, remember?" He couldn't help but smile thinking back to their teenage years.

"If you two are done with your stroll down memory lane, we're kind of in the middle of something here." Hoyt gave both of them an exasperated look.

Kathy giggled and went back to the computer. _cant /grounded _

_Brock: cmon / u can get out_

_no / dad wud kill me_

"Boy, that's the truth." The teen snickered and looked at Michael who still looked worried. "Oh, Daddy relax – it's only online."

_Brock: wen can u get out?_

_Dunno / nxt week mayb / but we can talk_

_Brock: k / gotta go / later!_

"He's gone." Kathy pointed where it showed that he had logged out.

"Go ahead and log off." Matt leaned back and put his arm around CJ and looked over at Michael. "So what do you think?"

"I think we need to be very careful about how we approach this." He blew out a breath and leaned forward to look over at his daughter. "Kathy, don't say anything to him about the murders. If they get brought up, it needs to be by him; understand?"

"Sure, Daddy, I know how this works. I see it on TV all the time."

"Tell you what: I've got a laptop downstairs that you can use." Matt got up and headed down to the gym just as Catey woke up and announced herself. Kathy hopped up and went over the back of the couch to go with Matt. Michael watched her go.

"She'll be fine." CJ smiled at him, knowing what was going through her friend's mind. "We'll make sure of it."

"I know she will. God, she's growing up quick. Before I know it she'll graduate and be off to college…"

"And married and having kids…" The lawyer grinned at him.

"No, no, no…don't rush it." Hoyt started laughing. "You watch: the same thing will happen to you and Matt."

"He'll probably be a basket case when Catey starts dating." She snickered and Michael burst into laughter.

A couple of minutes later Kathy came upstairs holding the freshly changed baby while Matt had the laptop. "Dad, you should see Houston changing a diaper…man he's fast!" She smiled over at the PI.

"Nah…hand Catey off to CJ if you would and come over here. I need to show you something about this computer." He set it on the poker table and turned it on. The teenager came over to his side. "Alright, Miss Kathy – I've just set this to log every single keystroke that's put into it and to save copies of everything…so don't type anything that you don't want your dad or me to see, okay?" He gave her a grin.

"I can handle that." 

"And…" he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a phone. "If you need to give him a phone number, give him this one." Matt handed it over to her.

"Oh wow! These things are so cool!" She took the phone and began looking through the features on it.

"Let me go activate it for you and you're good to go." He took the phone back and headed over the back of the couch. After a couple of minutes of punching keys the phone was ready. "Now, we would rather you just talked to him on the computer. But, if you do talk to him on the phone…" He reached back into his shirt pocket and pulled out one of his critters as he liked to call the bugs that he had helped design. After attaching it to the back of the phone he handed it over to her. "Again, don't say anything that you don't want your dad or us to hear. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Houston, he won't be able to track her with the phone will he?"

"I've got that turned off." Matt looked at the girl. "There's one rule to this deal: you don't have contact with him through the computer or cell phone unless one of us," he indicated the three adults in the room, "…or your mom is right with you. Understand?"

"Okay, I've got it."

"And one more thing…as long as it's okay with your dad…the phone and the computer are yours after we get done with the case…after a couple of modifications that is." He looked at Michael who nodded. "But your grades better stay up after you start back to school. Got it, kid?" Matt tried for a very serious look but that disappeared when Kathy gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, Uncle Matt. I'm not stupid you know." She gave him a big smile.

"I know you're not." He put his arm around her and looked at his watch. "Why don't we go grab some lunch and then maybe we can get this idiot nailed before too much longer – and before he can hurt anyone else."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Kathy waiting for another message from Brock while playing with Catey as Matt and CJ pored through all of his online postings. "He's careful, I'll give him that." CJ sighed as she finished with one of the supposed vampire's entries and went to the next. "Or maybe not. Take a look."

Matt looked up at the screen and began reading out loud. "_Last night was another high for me. My donor was really into it until she figured out it would be her last time_." He looked at his wife. "This guy is a sick son of a…"

"Nope, we've got company here – remember?" She gave him a raised eyebrow and a shake of the head.

"Sorry." He continued on. "_The look on her face was priceless as my fangs sunk into her neck._" He stopped again. "Bring up a picture of him again, please." CJ did as she was asked. "How recent is this?"

"According to Mugbook he took it about a week ago." She enlarged the picture on the screen.

"His canines don't look any longer than yours or mine…so I'm guessing he uses something…" The PI stopped suddenly and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Michael, did any of the ME's reports say anything about traces of something in the puncture marks – other than the DNA?"

"Uh, let's see…" The wearied detective flipped through the files. "Yes, as a matter of fact…this one here for the girl in Echo Park says that traces of silver were found in the wounds…and this one from Donnie Sharpton. So he's using a set of fangs made out of silver?"

"Well, I seriously doubt that he's managing to grow his own." Matt walked over behind the bar and poured coffee for himself and CJ. "Makes you wonder where he got them…or if he made them himself. I'm going to do some checking on that angle. Call you when I get something." He hung up and stepped back over the back of the couch and handed CJ the coffee. "Let's see if anybody out there has silver fangs for sale. Try E-Flea."

CJ worked the keyboard. After spending a couple of minutes scrolling through the typical Halloween costume fangs she stopped. "Son of a …"

"Nope, we've got company here – remember?" Matt couldn't help but snicker as he hit CJ with the same line that she had used on him just a few minutes before. "The dang things are even retractable. People are nuts." He sighed. "Print that out, please." He picked up the phone and called Michael back and guided him to the page on the website.

"I'll be damned…who in their right mind…never mind, we already know the answer I guess. But he must have modified them – otherwise they wouldn't actually hurt anyone."

"Yep, and you know what? I think my lawyer here would classify that as premeditated." Matt looked over at his wife who nodded.

"Yep." The tired cop blew out a breath. "I take it she hasn't had any more contact with him?"

"Nope. She and Catey have been best buds all afternoon. I need to get her to come babysit one night – CJ and I haven't been out in forever." He took his wife's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sure she would love to do it. Okay, I'm about to leave here. I'll come pick her up. Thanks for giving her the computer by the way. Her desktop has about seen better days."

"No problem. I get them from Derwin nowadays. I figured she ought to get paid somehow - even though she is having a great time. See you in a few." He hung up and turned to watch Kathy playing with his daughter, then looked back at CJ and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Maybe we can go out one night before too long."

"It would be nice." Thinking of her conversation with Michael earlier in the day she leaned closer to her husband. "So, what are you going to do when Catey is that age? Freak out every time a boy calls her?"

"Of course not. He'll just have to get through a background check and an interrogation by the old man." Both of them cracked up.

Later on that night after taking Catey for a ride on Cricket, giving her a bath, the last bottle of the night and putting her to bed, the couple were lying in a lounge chair out by the pool looking up at the stars. CJ's head was resting on Matt's chest as she sat in his lap. "You have to wonder what they were thinking." She was thinking out loud.

"Who?" Matt looked down at her.

"The girls – and Donnie Sharpton. And you know, it occurs to me: was Donnie the only guy? I mean obviously he's the only one we know of…and it makes me wonder…"

"Uh huh, I wondered that, too, when I heard about him. In the movies, didn't Dracula usually go after women?" He chuckled.

"Well, if I remember right there was a guy in there somewhere. I can't believe we're even having this conversation. The whole thing is just crazy."

"Uh huh…" Matt suddenly sat up, causing his wife to brace herself on the edge of the chair. "Sorry. I just wondered if Willoughby has ever been treated for mental problems?"

"Well, we could find out if he's been in a mental hospital but we wouldn't be able to get access to the records." She settled back into her spot when he leaned back. "I'll check on that first thing in the morning."

"Okay." Matt chuckled.

"What?"

"You know, vampires really suck." He cocked his head and looked at her, causing her to crack up.

"I've been waiting for you to say that all day."

"Well I've been fighting the urge all day – just couldn't resist anymore." He kissed her. "Been fighting the urge to do something else all day, too." He took her in his arms and stood up as she squealed, then kissed her again before tossing her over his shoulder, and carrying her into the house, both of them laughing.

Thursday morning rolled around and Matt headed into the office hoping very sincerely that he wouldn't get another phone call from Michael. He had almost made it to the office when his cell phone rang. Looking at the ID he cursed. "Yeah Bud, what's going on?"

"Kathy didn't hear from him last night."

"Hmm, I wondered. You haven't heard about any more attacks have you?" He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not a one. I was about to bring her over there if that's alright with you." Michael looked at his daughter who was holding her breath.

"Great. Or I can come pick her up, whatever you want to do."

"I'll bring her." Matt could hear a "Yes!" shouted out from the other end of the line and chuckled. "She would rather be with you all than her old man I guess."

"I don't think CJ and I are the attraction – Catey is." Matt grinned as he pulled into the garage. "I just pulled in."

"We're headed that way. See ya."

A short time later, Michael dropped Kathy off and headed back to his office. As Matt poured himself a second cup of coffee behind the bar, Catey put the laptop on the poker table and opened it up. "Uncle Matt, I've got an email from him."

The PI came out from behind the bar and leaned over her shoulder to read the message.

_Hi! Bet you thought I'd forgotten you, but I haven't. Are you sure you can't slip out of the house tonight? I'd love to take you out and show you a good time. Let me know._

_Brock_

"Well ain't he just sweet as molasses – the little turd." Matt's disgust came through plainly and Kathy started laughing. "Tell him there's no way you can get out but that you'd love to talk to him some more. Say you want to know more about the group – you're interested." He stood back up and stepped to the door as he heard the elevator chime. CJ stepped off of the elevator with Catey and Matt walked down to take the carrier for her. "Our newest employee is here and already working. She had an email from him."

"Ick." CJ went into her office and put her purse down before going back out to check on the email. "Good morning."

"Good morning. The Slimy One has emailed me."

"That's what Matt said." She read it and Kathy's response. "Sounds like you're doing good, kiddo." Walking over to the bar she poured a cup of coffee and watched as Matt walked around on the patio with his daughter. Kathy was watching them, too.

"You know, he's a really good dad." The teenager laughed. "I remember dad talking about how wild he was when they first met. He sure doesn't seem that way now."

"No, he's done a lot of growing up the last few years. And he's a great dad." CJ patted Kathy on the shoulder as she headed toward the couch. "I've got some more checking to do on your new friend." She sat down and pulled up BABY and began searching trying to find out if Brock Willoughby had ever been treated for mental issues. A few minutes later she walked to the doorway and called to Matt. "Our boy has been in a little trouble before." She waited until he stepped inside with Catey and they headed for the couch. "I think someone flubbed up – I shouldn't have been able to find what I did."

"Oh?" He sat down with Catey on his lap and looked up at the screen. "Uh huh: so he's been caught with drugs before…I had a feeling. That reminds me." He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and called Michael. "Hey, did they ever get any results back on the roach that we found?"

"Hmmm, hang on…" He could hear the cop digging through a folder. "Yeah…it had Sarah's DNA on it and…damn! Why didn't I think of that? So is the DNA from the puncture wounds. We've got him!"

"Michael, considering his family's relationship with the DA, I think we're going to need more than that. In the hands of a good lawyer it could say that he was there, he smoked pot with the girl, and maybe they made out…but it doesn't say that he killed her necessarily. And we don't have a DNA sample from him – yet." He looked over at CJ who nodded. "We're going to need ironclad proof on this jerk. We need to catch him in the act."

"I just got a call from the Chief's office: he wants an update. Think you can meet me there?"

"I'm on the way." Matt handed Catey to CJ. "Gotta go meet with the Chief. I'll call you as soon as I know something. If anything else happens here, let me know. I'm sure he'll want to know, too. Love you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed down to the garage.

Matt made the short trip up to the Chief's office on First Street and met up with Michael in the lobby of the office. As they were taken back Matt whispered to Michael. "I haven't met this one yet."

"He's okay." The cop grinned.

After being welcomed to the office, they were asked for an update and both contributed what they had learned so far. The Chief turned away from the window that overlooked the city and the old Parker Center Building that had been home to the LAPD since the 1950's. "Mr. Houston, I've talked to quite a few people about you." He sat down behind his desk. "I understand that you're very good at what you do; I also understand that you've helped this city out on numerous occasions, and for that we're grateful. But I've also heard that you often play fast and loose with the rules – and that concerns me."

Michael hadn't had any idea that this conversation would be taking place. He looked between the two men. Matt was wearing his poker face; neither concern nor lack of it could be seen. The private eye remained silent.

"This case is very sensitive as Lt. Hoyt has pointed out. The fact that the Willoughbys are held in such esteem by the District Attorney has me concerned to say the least." Matt still remained silent and unflappable. "Do you have anything to say?" The Chief continued to stare at Houston.

"I'm just sitting here wondering if you do – besides your opinion on how I work. Other than that you've just repeated back what we told you not five minutes ago." Houston hadn't so much as blinked and his voice had taken on the very deep, very quiet, and very calm tone: too calm in Michael's opinion and he was worried. "Now, did you ask for me to come here so you could piss me off in person or are we going to figure out how to approach this very sensitive problem?"


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Michael and Matt didn't speak in the crowded elevator on the way down to the parking garage. As soon as they walked out of the chief's office, Michael had reached for the roll of antacids in his pocket and had downed four of them. Once they got to the garage, they stopped at the back of Matt's truck. "Houston, I had no idea he would do that. You know I wouldn't drag you down here to get insulted."

"I know it." Matt's crossed arms were on the tailgate as he looked down at his boots. "I'm sorry if I put you on a bad footing with him, Michael; but I'm not going to sit there and let someone bash on me for the way I operate." He blew out a big breath. "Tell you what: if you get a pink slip you can come to work for me, how about it?" The PI gave the cop a crooked grin.

"If you two lock horns again I may take you up on the job offer." He turned and started for his car. "Although I've got to say I would probably be better off working for you."

"Probably hell – I know you would. 'Course you would need a little training." Matt had moved over to the door of his truck and was unlocking it.

"Training?" That stopped Michael in his tracks and he turned to face his friend.

"Sure…you gotta learn how to relax a little bit. Maybe we should get you some yoga lessons or something." Houston slid behind the wheel of his truck and started the engine. Rolling down the window he shouted at Michael. "See ya there!"

"Umph…yoga." The cop chuckled as he got behind the wheel and headed for the PI's office to plan the takedown of Brock Willoughby.

On his way over, Matt punched CJ's number on his cell phone and filled her in on what had happened and what was about to happen. She sighed. "I guess I should have gone with you."

"What good would that have done?" Matt stopped at a light.

"Because that way I could have told him off, too." She laughed. "Poor Michael."

Matt chuckled. "I told him he could come to work for me if he got the boot."

"Gosh, that was nice of you." She rolled her eyes. "We'll be ready and waiting for you. Love you, Cowboy."

"Love you, Babe. 'Bye."

Forty five minutes later, they assembled in the offices of Houston Investigations. One of the people was a young undercover female officer, Sherry Manuel, who was going to play the role of Angelique. As she read through the emails and messages that were involved with the case she smiled at CJ and Kathy. "You two are really good and this guy is really creepy."

"That's the truth." CJ got up and went for another cup of coffee and stood behind the bar with Matt as he and Michael, along with a couple of other detectives worked out how to take down Willoughby. As soon as she was up to speed on what had transpired between Brock and Angelique, Sherry Manuel joined the group and Michael asked Kathy to take Catey downstairs.

"Okay, so you agree to go out with him tonight. We'll have you wired and Jenkins and Trenton here along with Houston and me will be keeping an eye on things. All you have to do is use the code word and we'll move in."

"And one more thing: he might try to drug you with ecstasy or something else, so be on guard," Matt added. "And you know what?" He turned and looked at Michael. "One more thing we might try to up our odds a little bit: we could name the place."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well..." Matt poured another cup of coffee. "He keeps going further west every time he strikes…why not keep that pattern up? They could meet up at Encino Reservoir. There are several different ways in there and a quite a few places that we could hide." He took a sip and looked at Michael who was considering it. "Look, I'll show what I'm talking about." Crossing over to the poker table where the laptop was sitting, he opened a new tab on the web browser and pulled up Goggle Maps. "This right here…" He pointed to an area on a hillside overlooking the reservoir. "See that big clump of trees? That would make a good place to stake it out." He waited as Michael thought about it. "We could have him meet her right down here at the edge of the reservoir…it's close to one of the side entrances…Adlon Place on the east side. We could have a car sitting on one of the streets near there for quick back up."

"Yeah, that could work, but how do we know he would come in that way? There are a lot of ways to get in there, Houston."

"We could make it where there weren't so many ways. Like maybe a dump truck or something blocking the road over here on the west side, and maybe some work trucks or something over here on the north side. Besides, he lives in Beverly Hills – more than likely he'll be coming in from the east side anyway. And if we see him heading in another direction we can get her out of there. Maybe tell him that she got caught sneaking out. They could reschedule."

"I think it's a good plan, Lieutenant." Sherry looked at the map.

"Okay, let's do it. We need to make arrangements with LADWP." Hoyt pulled out his phone and made the call to the utility company. Within a few minutes he had spoken to the manager of the reservoir and the plan was put in motion. "It's a go."

"Now, what's your code word going to be?" Matt looked at the young officer.

"Moon." She looked at Hoyt and smiled.

After "Angelique" emailed Brock that she would be waiting for him at the reservoir just off of Adlon Place at 9:00pm, the reply came within minutes. He agreed. "Looks like we're all set." Sherry sat back and took a sip of coffee.

About 8:30 that night, Matt pulled into the hiding place that he had picked out on the northeastern side of the reservoir. He killed the engine as Michael checked to make sure that their communications gear was working properly. Sherry Manuel was already at the eastern edge of the reservoir where she was supposed to meet Willoughby.

Putting down his binoculars, Hoyt sighed. Matt looked over at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just hope this works out. I've got a feeling that the chief would love nothing better than for it to fall flat."

"Michael, I meant what I said earlier. CJ and I would take you on as a partner in the business in a heartbeat."

"That's good, because that may be my only option if things don't work out tonight."

"I've got a feeling that things are going to be just fine here and with the chief." Matt picked up a pack of beef jerky and took a bite.

"What makes you so sure?" Hoyt took the pack of jerky that the PI passed to him.

"You're forgetting that this isn't my first rodeo where it concerns a police chief. I've had similar conversations with others before…and not just here…in Texas, too."

Michael took a small bite of the jerky and Matt watched him out of the corner of his eye. "This stuff is pretty good." Hoyt sounded surprised.

"Never had it before, huh?" Matt chuckled. "I gotta warn you, it'll sure make you thirsty." He reached back and flipped open the top on a small cooler sitting in the back floorboard, pulling out two bottles of water. He handed one to Michael and cracked the top on his.

The pair got quiet. A few minutes later, Matt started chuckling. Hoyt looked at his friend. "I'm almost afraid to ask: what?"

"We're on a stake out…after a vampire." He snickered. Michael chuckled and they got quiet again.

Lee Jenkins' voice came over the radio. "The suspect is moving in from the Adlon entrance."

"Sherry, do you copy?" Michael sat up straight and Matt double-checked his bullet proof vest.

"Copy." The young officer sounded calm.

"Showtime." Matt could see the headlights of the truck shining down on the grass where Sherry was waiting. Brock pulled off of the road and into the grass, stopping about twenty feet from her.

"Wow, I sure hope you're Brock." Sherry leaned back and smiled at the young man.

"I am. And you're cuter than I imagined." He walked over and sat down next to her setting down the duffle bag he was carrying. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"So what made you change your mind about sneaking out?" He reclined on his left side facing her.

"I'm so tired of being a conformist, you know? I mean, I go to school, get decent grades and pretty well stay out of trouble. And just because I smoke a little pot my dad grounds me. We've all got to have a way to relax and unwind. They just don't get it. They don't understand anything."

"I get it. My parents are the same way. So you decided to come on out tonight and make a stand, huh?"

"Well…I'm not sure how much of a stand it is. I mean, they don't know if I'm there half the time. They're always so busy with their stupid little groups. Save this bird, save that fish…who the hell really cares? They care more about those damn animals than they do about me."

"Yeah, mine too." He pulled something out from behind his ear. "So you want to share a little bud?" He lit up the marijuana.

"Sure. I had some earlier but it's kinda fading." Sherry took the joint and turned like she was looking at something to her left and made like she was smoking it, then started coughing. "Wow, that's some good stuff."

"Yeah, I got a friend down in Guadalajara that hooks me up." They continued on for a few minutes talking about their families and how bad school was. The whole time Brock kept getting closer to her.

Matt and Michael were watching with night vision binoculars. "He's moving closer, Michael."

"Yep."

"So, are you feeling a little better now that you've had a little weed?" He laid back on the grass and began rubbing her arm.

"Yeah, it just makes everything so much better, you know? I mean, like they should make the whole world smoke it and maybe people would get along better."

He tugged on her arm. "Why don't you come down here and make me feel a little better, huh?" She stretched out next to him.

"It seems like we've always known each other." Sherry was keeping a good eye on what Brock was doing.

"Uh huh." He pulled her down for a kiss. After a few minutes his hands started wandering. He stopped for a minute. "So you like vamps, huh?"

"Yeah, you know there are a lot of people out there who think they're vampires, and maybe some of them are. I hope I get to meet a real one someday."

"I guess it's your lucky day, girl, because I really am…see?" Although Matt and Michael couldn't see his mouth, they were both reasonably sure that he had just showed his silver fangs.

"Wow! They are really shiny!" Sherry said that for the benefit of Hoyt so that he would know that the fangs had indeed been shown. "So, can you really turn me into a vamp? That would be so hot!"

"Sure." He sat back up. "Let's put this blanket down, the grass is getting kinda damp." He reached into the bag.

"And there's the tarp." Matt was ready to swoop down and catch the creep.

"Here we go." Brock spread out the tarp and the two of them sat down on it and started making out again. Before long he was moving in for the kill.

"Oh, the moon is just perfect for us tonight!" Sherry used the code word and instantly Matt and Jenkins moved in, Matt not turning on headlights. Brock was so carried away he didn't hear the sound of the engines at first. It was then that Sherry gave a shriek and Matt pushed the accelerator to the floor, stopping just a few feet away from the black truck of Willoughby. The young man jumped to his feet and headed for the door of the truck as Matt scrambled out and made a flying tackle, knocking the younger man to the ground.

"FREEZE! LAPD!" Hoyt's words had absolutely no effect on Brock Willoughby who continued fighting with Matt and tried to bite his neck, only to have the PI roll over on his back and pulling the would-be vampire's arm back behind him while flipping him face first into the grass where he quickly put his right knee on the man's neck and grabbed his other hand pulling it behind his back as well. Michael dove in with handcuffs and they had him in custody.

A steady stream of curses flowed from the young man's lips aimed not only at Matt and Michael but the other two detectives who arrived on the scene. Then he turned his attention to Sherry and began a completely new tirade aimed at her.

"God, what a pathetic geek." The undercover officer looked down at Brock.

"Y'all stand back and be careful now. I think this is the part where he changes into a bat and flies off." Matt looked over at Hoyt and grinned as the cop just stood there shaking his head.

Back at the police station, Brock calmed down just long enough to make his one phone call and then went into another rage after he was put in an interrogation room with Hoyt, Jenkins, and Houston. A restraint chair was brought in and he was strapped into it. When he discovered that he could no longer move, he began trying to spit at anyone who came near him. The chair was turned to face the back wall and a see-thru mesh hood was placed over his head to prevent anyone from being spit on. The curses continued to flow. Everyone stepped out of the room and congregated in the hallway. Matt looked at his watch. It was almost 10:00. "I don't know about you fellas, but I'm hungry." The other detectives agreed. "Pizza?" Everyone nodded and Matt went back to Hoyt's office and made the call. Before Willoughby's parents could have their lawyer at the station, Matt and the others were declaring war on their late dinner.

"He's finally calmed down a little bit." Hoyt picked up another slice of pizza.

The Willoughby's showed up a few minutes later with their lawyer, spouting threats of job loss and financial ruin to everyone involved. Matt just rolled his eyes and went into the interrogation room with Michael and Fred Lassiter, the attorney for Willoughby. After reading his rights to him once again, Michael began questioning him, but it was a waste of time. The young man had already decided not to cooperate in any way with the police.

By 11:30, Matt was in the truck and headed home getting there just about midnight to find a dozing CJ waiting for him. He looked down at himself: there was dirt, mud, blood, and sweat on his shirt and jeans. The PI didn't want to touch her with so much filth on him, so he went on back and took a shower before padding back into the den, gently waking her up and leading her back to the bedroom.

"So did you get him?" The lawyer stifled a yawn.

"Yep. He's locked up as we speak. Don't know how long he'll stay there, but at the moment he's in jail." Matt pulled back the covers on the bed and CJ slid underneath making room for him to join her. He turned off the lamp and crawled into bed where she immediately threw her left arm across his belly and put her head on his chest, both of them drifting off with smiles on their faces.


End file.
